News
International Taxi Driver Day is commemorated on 22 March annually, celebrating the life and contributions of taxi drivers everywhere. While many in Singapore choose to use ride-share services nowadays, taxis remain a ubiquitous feature of Singapore, from the blue Comfort Taxis to the more luxurious Limousine Taxis. Between 1970 and 1993, taxi company Comfort aimed …
Making Live through the Gig: The Case of Comfort Taxis in Singapore Read More »
Volunteering can be done in myriad ways – helping out at local non-profits, participating in community events, or even championing social causes. Singaporeans are encouraged to volunteer at various times in their lives, from participating in the Values in Action (VIA) programme in schools to contributing to their workplaces’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. In …
How often do you volunteer? Well, volunteering may boost your happiness! Read More »
In the past several years, concerns over poverty and inequality in Singapore have risen significantly. With rapid technological changes and disruptive innovations, economic insecurities for workers in traditional low-waged jobs and the gig economy have arisen. ‘In-Work Poverty and Challenges of Getting By Among the Young (Phase 2)’ continues the previous effort by Associate Professor …
In-Work Poverty and Challenges of Getting By Among the Young (Phase 2) Read More »
Fertility rates continue to fall worldwide, with more and more individuals choosing to have fewer children or forgo parenthood altogether. Singapore is no exception and currently has one of the lowest total fertility rates (TFR) in the world, with the resident TFR having declined to below 1.0 in 2023. The low birth rate is a …
Singaporeans prefer to have just one child, instead of being childless: Study Read More »
Led by Professor Kenneth Dean (NUS Chinese Studies), ‘Building Chinese Diaspora Resilience and Sustaining Traditional Identities through Promotion of Hokkien Language’, a US Federal Grant-funded project (via the US Embassies of Singapore and Malaysia), investigates the role of the Southern Min dialect, also referred to as Hokkien or Minnan, within the transformation of Chinese Voluntary …
International Women’s Day is commemorated annually on 8 March. This celebration empowers women by making their struggles visible, thus advocating for greater equality of the sexes.‘Singaporean Women Living in China: The Uneven Burdens of Middle-class Transnational Caregiving’ (Asian Studies Review, 2022) by Dr Sylvia Ang (Monash University), Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng (NUS Japanese Studies …
As Asian and European nations prepare to commemorate ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Day on March 1st to celebrate the partnership and dialogue between the continents, it is pertinent to reflect on the urban dynamics of Asia and Europe. Cities in Asia and Europe are undergoing significant shifts in migration patterns, marked by transnational ties and …
‘Chinese Voluntary Associations in Transition: China’s Rise and the Remaking of Ancestral Communities in Southeast Asia’, a Ministry of Education AcRF Tier 2 grant funded from 2023 to 2026, investigates the transformation of Chinese Voluntary Associations (CVAs), also known as Huaren Shetuan, in contemporary Southeast Asia. CVAs are non-official and non-governmental community groups that originate …
Singapore celebrates Total Defence Day on 15 February each year, as a reminder of the day Singapore surrendered to the Japanese forces. This marked the start of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, then renamed Syonan-to. Shortly afterwards, the Japanese implemented significant social and economic policy changes, including racial policies towards certain ethnic groups (minzoku). Dr …
Strategic races: understanding racial categories in Japanese-occupied Singapore Read More »
As a young island nation, Singapore has taken pride in its meritocratic system. It sees this system as responsible for propelling its growth into an economic powerhouse. Basing people’s worth on their achievements and hard work, instead of their background and status, is one of the defining traits of meritocracy, and it continues to have …